blathering on about knitting, quilting, spinning, crochet, my family, cats, goats, the dog, singing, clogging, and living in The Bush

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Bluebell Bootees

EDIT : my friend Jejeune has turned this pattern into a PDF which you will find here

I LOVE the people at Patons Australia.I started these little bootees yesterday [ and just finished them ] from a vintage Patons book from the late 70s - 20 beautiful Booties C24.Earlier this arvo I emailed them to ask if I could share the pattern with you - it being out of print and all - and they've already replied very sweetly in the affirmative. As with so many patterns of the era, it didn't have a name, just a number, so I'm calling it Bluebell Bootees after the yarn it was designed for. Having said that though, I used Jasmin, which was another Patons yarn of similar gauge from that period.NOTE: the original pattern has the ridges in a contrast colour but I'm giving you directions for a single colour as per the sample. Of course, if you like sewing in ends, by all means do the garter stitch ridges in a contrast. It will look fabulous but I'm too lazy.

Making up :gather around edge of striped section, pull firmly, fasten off. Using a flat seam, sew up sole and back seam.

The original pattern has a 3/4" pom-pon attached to cover the gathered section.When I have more time and energy I'll write out some full directions to replace that "work to correspond to other side" which is how most patterns used to be written.

Anyway now that I understand the basic shaping , I'm going to cast on for a pair in 8-ply/sport and slightly bigger needles and have a play with the numbers so that it still comes out no bigger than this - in fact I'd like it a wee bit smaller... newborn size ETA the result is herebut you'll need to scroll past the goaty stuff.

42 comments:

Did you know they also have a pattern archive - you request a pattern, they will send it out - either an original or a photocopy. They did this with some doll patterns I was after a couple years back, and I think they were free of charge.

found your cute baby booties discussed in a thread on ravelry (forums, patterns, titled: Babystøvler by Dansk Mohair - pattern?) and I really like them. I am going to include them with a baby set I am making for someone at work. Thanks for reviving this different looking bootie pattern from the past!

Thanks for the Bootie pattern. They will be great for our Native American Support HEET the FEET project.Also, MANY THANKS For your "clock" thingie. I have a dear friend in Au. that I always call at the wrong time. I have bookmarked your site so I can remember to check your clock before I call and of course to get a update on your Goats and Knitting. Mary

I have all but finished these booties (found your pattern ia Yarn Miracle) and, for the life of me, I can't figure out what "gather around the edge of the striped section" means. Does this mean seam up? When I seam it up, I don't get that nice little "poof" at the toe that I see in your pictures. Does it mean weave a piece of yarn around the edge and pull taut? When I do this, the top of the foot doesn't close up. Any advice or help you can give would be much appreciated. They really are adorable booties! Thanks for sharing the pattern.

hi Meridith - I took it to mean gather up using largish stitches - from memory I took one through the end of each garter ridge, pull up really tightly , fasten off and then use one or two stitches to close any remaining hole. The original from Patons had a small pompon sewn over that spot.

I love these booties. I just began to knit a few months ago and I just can't stop! I don't have very many needles and no DPN's at all. Is there any way I can get this pattern or the Newborn size for the pattern using stright or circular needles? Thanks. Listlia.

I am heavily pregnant and have been searching everywhere for a 'nice pair' of booties. I will give them a try this week. Thank you. Can I ask...what is the Patons website/email address as I am after a copy of an old pattern. I will contact Patons and request it. Cheers.

Hi there! I'm a really new knitter and I dont understand this line:row 1: [ wrong side ] cast off 10 sts, patt to endwhat does the patt to end mean?? And I dont understand why I'm casting on new stitches, what am I supposed to do with the stuff that I already knitted? Do I leave it on the needle and join them somehow, or bind it off or what?? Please help!!

Because this pattern is from patons archives , it is written in 1970s conventional knitting pattern style. When I get time I'll rewrite it in more modern language. Basically if you look at the photo of it out flat, and realise that the cast on edge is the left hand side then you can see where the 'cast off 10' gives you the front edge of what will end up being the cuff. Then you work the ridges that will be gathered up for the toe and then you need to add those 10 stitches back on again for the other side of the cuff. When you get to that point you knit the 20 stitches currently on the needle, transfer that needle to your left hand and cast on the 10, so you now are back to 30 [ 20 + 10 ] on the left hand needle. Knit across these 30 stitches and continue on as directed in garter stitch.I always assume that "pattern to end" just means continue on with whatever stitch you were doing.Hope that this is helpful

VERY new to knitting so perhaps trying an old 70's pattern is not the best, but these bootees are too cute. I've managed to get most of my answers from the comments, my only remaining question is what does "incl" mean? For instance where it says, "rep rows 3-6 incl 3 times"?

Would you please post the Bluebell Bootees with an updated set of instructions. I know how to knit but have struggled with these cutie little boots. I know if it were more clear, I could wipe these out in no time. Thanks!

I can't believe this! Every year I make a batch of these bootees for new babies, I don't have a pattern so I usually end up opening one up to count the stitches etc. Now I have the pattern - Hurrah! :) Thank you so much!

I am knitting a blanket for my granddaughter Lucy Michelle Debi who has not even been conceived yet. I have high hopes. So I am going all out and making her these booties also. And if my daughter has a boy I hope he loves lavender.

I am an inexperienced knitter. My interpretation of the pattern as written means to me that the central rows where the increase/decrease happens is knit 1 row pearl 1 row. This is contrary to what I understood when the pattern says "keeping continuity of pattern" and also what I can see in the picture.Can you help to clarify please?

About Me

Walking the fine line between creativity and obsession on my 10 acres of bushland. I share my life with my severely autistic son, and also my daugher and son-in-law, 4 cats and 4 goats, a very small dog who apparently thinks he's a Rottweiler ... or a cat ... and a collection of fabrics and fibres that can be seen from space.